A Life in the Theater

Note: DULAANG UNIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS (or Dulaang U.P.) is now presenting its 40 th Season.  Founding Artistic Director Tony Mabesa, who directed its first play in 1976, is now directing King Lear/Haring Lear, opening on Wednesday, 7 October 2015.  He has announced that the production will be his last for Dulaang U.P. as a director . Upon his return to the Philippines in 1975 after studying and teaching in the United States, Antonio O. Mabesa initiated the formation of a campus-based theater season at the University of the Philippines.  With the help of Dr. Leticia H. Tison, then Chair of the Department of Speech and Drama, the first season of Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, or Dulaang U.P. as it has come to be known, was launched in 1976 with the production of Shakespeare’s “ Much Ado About Nothing ”, translated into Filipino by Lilia Antonio as “ Pagkahaba-haba man ng Prusisyon ”, at the Abelardo Theater.   The next production in the opening season...

Ricky Davao is a multi-awarded film, television and theater actor who would really rather be known as a singer who can act. He will jump at every opportunity to show off his singing voice and whose plans for the future not only include directing a film version of Rene Villanueva's "Hiblang Abo" but also an album of salinawits, or standards transliterated into Filipino. Which is not to say that he will also not take advantage of every chance to perform on stage. This week, he resurrects his role as Dado in the Mario O'Hara's adaptation of his own screenplay for Lino Brocka's "Insiang." Directed by Chris Millado (who, like Ricky, also won an Aliw Award for his work on the play), Ricky plays opposite Sheenly Vee Gener (as Insiang) and Mailes Kanapi (as Pacing). As he normally would, Ricky set aside time to do Insiang, making sure that he can devote all his attention and time for the project. Ricky once said in an interview that we have known each other ...

When I go back to Silliman next week with Tanghalang Pilipino's productions of GEE GEE AT WATERINA and WELCOME TO INTELSTAR, it will be my third time to visit the place. I have been to Silliman University and Luce Auditorium twice before : the first was in 1978 when U.P. and PNB brought Tony Mabesa's production of Nick Joaquin's "Tatarin" back to back with Isagani Cruz' "Josephine"; the second was with Repertory Philippines' "The Gingerbread Lady" by Neil Simon in 1983. I have very fond memories of both trips. In 1978, Amiel Leonardia was still the Luce Auditorium's Technical Director. His assistant was a graduate student named Junix Inocian. I recall that Luce Auditorium was comparable with the best theaters in the country, probably next only to Philamlife Auditorium in terms of acoustics. Among the company in that 1978 tour (which was also memorable because I lost my entire bag when we were dropped off by a C-130 cargo plane at...

SUSAN VALDEZ, the actress most famous for her role in Mike de Leon's "Itim", is in town for a short visit, her first after moving to New York in 1985. We met up last Saturday after the one-night performance of ART at the Music Museum, and together with Raquel Villavicencio, Gina Alajar, Rez Cortez, Bembol Roco, and for a brief while, Ricky Davao and Mark Gil, reminisced about all the productions and film projects done in the past and good naturedly ribbed her about what the future might hold for her if she decides to come back for good. I had the glorious fortune of working with Susan on a number of plays (that's us above flanking Barbara Perez, together with Tony Mabesa, Cris Michelena and Sonia Valenciano inBehn Cervantes' 1982 production of "Larawan" for UP Repertory, which we even toured to Cagayan and the Visayas) that included "Peer Gynt", "Hedda Gabler/A Doll's House", and Chris Millado's "Intermedyo" where s...